Book Details
- Author: Alex & Brett Harris
- Publisher: Multnomah Books (2010)
- Category: Christian Living
Discerning Reader Editorial Review
Reviewed 03/23/2010 by John Bird.
Recommended. A natural sequel to their first book, this volume inspires through exhortation and storytelling.
Start Here is Alex and Brett Harris' sequel to Do Hard Things, a book in which they "invited [their] peers to choose to do hard things for the glory of God and, in the process, turn the world’s idea of what teens are capable of upside down." The obvious question after reading Do Hard Things is, "Where do I start?" Not only do the Harris brothers answer that question in their new book, but they also share the stories of dozens of teens who have accomplished amazing things after reading Do Hard Things.
I planned to read and review Start Here with teenagers in mind. After all, that's who it's for. But teenagers aren't the only ones who need motivation to do hard things. Adults can have low expectations, too. We too can be insecure. And we can certainly be complacent--perhaps more so than teenagers. So, while the book is aimed at teens and young adults, we not-so-young adults can learn plenty from these youngsters.
There are several things that I like about this book. The first is the emphasis on humility. Had I written a best-seller when I was nineteen, I would have exploded with pride. But not the Harris brothers. Though their first book was a best-seller, though they travel the world speaking to thousands of teenagers, and though they are adored by youth groups and youth leaders, they remain humble. Yet they admit that it is a struggle. Again and again throughout the book reader is warned of the dangers of pride:
Pride is such a common temptation that it's a good idea to frequently ask yourself (or ask a mentor to ask you), 'Is the way I'm thinking or talking about this hard thing focused on me and my abilities, or is it focused on God--obeying Him and serving others?'...It is possible to dazzle people with the hard things we do and still waste our lives if we're doing those things only to impress others and bring glory to ourselves?
Another point that I appreciate is the emphasis on faithfulness in small things. Doing hard things may not mean raising a million dollars for orphans in Nigeria. It may mean throwing away CDs, books, or clothes that are not pleasing to God. It may mean sitting alone at lunch rather than sitting with bad influences. It may mean befriending the boy who isn’t "cool." Or it may just mean obeying parents.
Nothing we do for God is insignificant. When we have this as our mind-set, then we won't get proud if God allows us to do something big and we won't get discouraged if we feel stuck in the small things...The goal is obedience to God, effectiveness in whatever He gives us to do, and a heart that glorifies Him...You may not always be organizing some gigantic project, but you are always looking for ways to serve God and others in small, everyday ways.
There are many more good things that I could mention about the book, but I'll mention just one more. Everything we do, the authors remind us, should stem from one goal--the glory of God:
Keep in mind that the choice is never between doing hard things and our relationship with God, because God is the One who commands us to do hard things! Instead, we serve and obey God by doing hard things--with Christ as the center, His glory our goal, and holding every hard thing we do with open hands.
I do have a caveat. Some parents, it's true, have low expectations for teens, and some teens have low expectations for themselves. But there are just as many, if not more, young people in our culture who are under tremendous pressure to succeed. Parents, teachers, friends, and even churches often expect greatness, if not perfection, from them. And the young people come to expect it from themselves. The pressure to be the star quarterback, or the valedictorian, or first chair flute, or all of the above, can be too much. So, while I don't encourage laying around, I also don’t want thirteen year-olds to feel mediocre if they aren't building schools in Haiti or flying solo to the moon.
That being said, I still think this is a great book. And Alex and Brett do stress that small things count. So buy this book for the teenagers and young adults in your life. While you're at it, get a copy for yourself. If it doesn't inspire you, it will at least restore your faith in tomorrow's leaders.
